The Inside Story Podcast

The world is entering a new reality where climate extremes are the norm. That's the stark warning from the UN Secretary-General, as nearly 200 countries meet for the 31st Conference of the Parties, or COP. When COP meetings began in 1995, the goal was to adopt a global approach to tackle the climate crisis. Over the years, several agreements have been reached but their implementation has been the subject of constant debate. So, what's the cost of inaction?
In this episode:
Rebecca Thissen, Global advocacy lead for Climate Action International
Sehr Raheja, Deputy Programme Manager at the Centre for Science and Environment
Mohamed Adow, Executive Director of Power Shift Africa, an energy and climate think-tank
Host: James Bays
Connect with us:
@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Iran warns that any conflict with the US would have no geographical limits, as fears grow of a return to all-out war. With tensions rising across the region and President Donald Trump warning of possible attacks on Iran, mediators are working to bring Tehran and Washington closer to a peace deal.
In this episode:
Abdulla Banndar Al Etaibi , Assistant Professor in International Relations at Qatar University
Ali Akbar Dareini ,Researcher at the Center for Strategic Studies
Sina Azodi ,Director of the Middle East Studies Program at George Washington University
Host: Imran Khan
Connect with us:
@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Millions of South Africans are voting in the country’s seventh municipal elections since the end of apartheid, in what many see as a referendum on the African National Congress. The party that helped defeat white minority rule has dominated politics for three decades, but its support has steadily eroded, and two years ago it lost its parliamentary majority for the first time. That raises questions about what’s driving the ANC’s decline, and whether it can reverse it.
In this episode:
Oscar Van Heerden, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for African Diplomacy and Leadership, University of Johannesburg
Alex Vines, Africa Programme Director at the European Council on Foreign Relations
Sandile Swana, Principal Consultant at the Centre for Strategic Leadership
Host: Imran Khan
Connect with us:
@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing alliance has fallen short of a majority after a historic election, while the opposition also lacks enough seats to govern alone. Palestinian Israeli parties have made unprecedented gains, raising questions about whether the opposition will work with them as Israeli military assaults on Gaza and the Occupied West Bank continue.
In this episode:
Mairav Zonszein, Senior Israel Analyst at the International Crisis Group
Mustafa Barghouti, Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative
Phyllis Bennis, Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies and author of Understanding Palestine and Israel
Host: Sami Zeidan
Connect with us:
@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

With the US and Israel signalling possible attacks, and Iran promising to respond, top officials from the Mecca pact nations – Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye – have sat down with Iranian leaders in Tehran. It’s being viewed as the last chance to defuse tensions in the Gulf. Diplomacy has so far failed to secure a peace agreement between Iran and the US. So, with fighting in Yemen spilling over into Saudi Arabia, can the Mecca alliance work with Iran to help secure the region?
In this episode:
Hamid Reza Gholamzadeh, Director of DiploHouse, a Tehran-based think-tank
Khaled Batarfi, Saudi political analyst and academic
Joey Hood, former Acting Director for the Office of Iranian Affairs at the State Department
Host: Folly Bah Thibault
Connect with us:
@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube